It appears the GOP has settled on a final tax bill. While it ain't over till it's over, we're close enough that an article on the new 2018 federal income tax rates makes sense.

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 14: House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), speaks about the Republican tax reform legislation currently before Congress, during his weekly briefing on Capitol Hill December 14, 2017 in Washington, DC. The bill will be voted in the coming week. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Representing a major tax-overhaul, the bill makes significant changes to the federal income tax brackets and deductions. Let's look at both, starting with the 2018 income tax brackets.

2018 Income Tax Brackets

Rate

Individuals

Married Filing Jointly

10%

Up to $9,525

Up to $19,050

12%

$9,526 to $38,700

$19,051 to $77,400

22%

38,701 to $82,500

$77,401 to $165,000

24%

$82,501 to $157,500

$165,001 to $315,000

32%

$157,501 to $200,000

$315,001 to $400,000

35%

$200,001 to $500,000

$400,001 to $600,000

37%

over $500,000

over $600,000

The number of brackets remained the same at seven. Rates overall, however, have come down. For individuals, these lower rates are scheduled to expire in 2025 unless Congress extends them.

The top rate will fall from 39.6% to 37%. The bottom rate remains at 10%, but it covers twice the amount of income compared to the previous brackets.

2018 Standard Deduction and Exemptions

The new tax rules also make big changes to the standard deduction and exemptions.

The standard deduction in 2018 as the law currently exists is $13,000 for a couple filing jointly. That number will jump to $24,000. For single filers it jumps from $6,500 to $12,000.

The personal exemption, currently at $4,150 for 2018, would be repealed. That's the bad news. The good news the child tax credit gets a big boost.

It currently sits at $1,000 and starts to phase out at $110,000 in income for couples and $75,000 in income for everybody else. Under the new law, the credit doubles to $2,000, $1,400 of which is a refundable tax credit. Further, it doesn't start to phase out until $400,000 in income for couples and $200,000 for singles.

2018 Itemized Deductions

Several key changes are coming for itemized deductions. State and local taxes can still be itemized, but they are now capped at $10,000. This concession attempts to address the uproar from states that levy big taxes on their citizens.

Interest on mortgages for primary and secondary residences is still deductible. The limit, however, has come down from loans up to $1 million to loans up to $750,000.

Medical expenses in 2017 and 2018 are deductible to the extent the exceed 7.5% of income (down from 10%).

Preparing Your Tax Returns

This end-of-year change to the 2018 tax brackets shouldn't affect 2017 returns. You can find a comparison of the best tax prep programs here.